Stars Before Dawn
by Surature
Summary: Soon after the death of Cherrystar, Hawkstar starts his leadership and has two kits, Treekit and Kestrelkit. But will they follow in their fathers footsteps or finally break free of the burden they carry?
1. Allegiances

**MinnowClan**

 **Leader:**

Hawkstar - Light brown tom with a white underbelly

 **Deputy:**

Snowfall - Pure white fluffy she-cat

 **Medicine Cat:**

Yarrowfern - Black she-cat

 **Warriors:**

Raggedfern - Almost black tabby tom

Nettleflame - Gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Dapplefoot - Brown and white dapple she-cat

Mistlefang - Gray she-cat with blue eyes

Squirrelclaw - Ginger she-cat with long claws

Ashlight - Light gray tabby she-cat

Echospot - Gray tom

Foxeye - Dark ginger tom

Lizardtail - Black tom with white dapples

Badgerclaw - Black tom with a white paw

Mosspelt - Gray she-cat

Pinenose - Ginger and white tom

Starlingfur - Gray she-cat

Sparroweye - Dark brown she-cat

 **Apprentices:**

Treepaw - Dark brown tom

Kestrelpaw - Light brown tom

 **Queens:**

Fogpelt - Foggy gray she-cat with white dapples (mother of Lilykit, Sorrelkit, Rainkit and Deerkit)

 **Elders:**

Onetail - White tom with one eye and a white torn tail

Bouncefoot - Black she-cat with unusually long legs


	2. Prologue

Sunlight blinded Hawkfur as he awoke, letting his eyes adjust he could see Raggedfern and Nettleflame still sleeping while Mistlefang left the den.  
"Hawkfur, fetch Pinepaw and Sparrowpaw won't you? Morning patrol." Cherrystar mewed, peering inside the den.  
"Of course, I'll do it in a second, still not awake." Hawkfur meowed. Cherrystar tilted her head and looked at him with intensity in her eyes.  
"Okay." She muttered after what seemed to be an eternity. Hawkfur got to his paws and left the den to find the two apprentices. "Remember, you're deputy! I shouldn't be planning everything." Cherrystar meowed sternly.  
"Yes, sorry Cherrystar." Hawkfur muttered, rage building up inside of him. He padded over to the apprentices den, looking inside he saw Pinepaw and Starlingpaw curled up beside each other while Sparrowpaw slept further away.  
"Patrol, Pinepaw and Sparrowpaw." He called. Sparrowpaw shot up at once and bounded over to Hawkfur, Pinepaw clumsily got to his paws and drowsily followed Hawkfur out of the den.  
"Can Snowfall come? It's so unfair that she got to be a warrior and we were held back!" Pinepaw complained. Hawkfur shot him a warning glance, without speaking Pinepaw followed, embarrassed.  
"Well, you cheated on your assessment." Sparrowpaw meowed at last.  
"Did not!"  
"Did too!"  
"Both of you, stop! You're not kits!" Hawkfur snapped. "Now go fetch Marigoldfur." Sparrowpaw swiftly ran across the clearing to Marigoldfur and beckoned her to join her. The four cats headed out of camp, patrolling the GorseClan boundary.  
"Hey look! A Minnowcat!" A voice taunted from the shadows. Hawkfur and Marigoldfur glanced at eachother, then nodded.  
"Pinepaw, get help." Hawkfur whispered. Six cats emerged from the shadows, preparing to pounce.  
"Hollowheart." Marigoldfur gasped. "You were exiled from our clan!"  
"Yes. I am of GorseClan now mange-pelt!" Hollowheart yowled, pouncing on Marigoldfur.  
"No!" Hawkfur screeched, trying to help his mate. Sparrowpaw was fighting two GorseClan she-cats, swiftly ducking under them and raking their belly's sending them yowling back.  
"Amazing, Sparrowpaw!" Hawkfur praised his apprentice. Hawkfur managed to haul Hollowheart off of Marigoldfur and pin him to the ground.  
"Too late." Hollowheart sneered. "She's _dead._ " Hawkfur whipped his head around to see Marigoldfur laying in the grass, a pool of blood surrounding her lifeless body. While Hawkfur wasn't concentrated, Hollowheart slipped away and regained balance.  
"What have you done?" Hawkfur wailed. Hollowheart snorted and jumped for Sparrowpaw. Adrenaline flooded into his body and he bouldered into Hollowheart, savagely clawing at the brown tom until he was nothing but dead weight.  
"He's dead!" One of the GorseClan warriors wailed, fleeing. The rest of the cats followed, leaving Hawkfur and Sparrowpaw alone with Marigoldfur.  
"My mother!" Sparrowpaw shrieked.  
"My mate..." Hawkfur whimpered.  
"Father why did this happen? Why?!" Sparrowpaw wailed, staring at her mother.  
"It is certainly a tragedy..." Cherrystar meowed, appearing behind them with Pinepaw, Snowfall and Ashlight flanking her.  
"She's _dead_!" Hawkfur screeched. Snowfall bent down to touch noses with the young she-cat.  
"She was a great foster mother. But she hunts with StarClan now and may she forever hunt in peace." She murmured.  
"Pinepaw, run back and tell Yarrowfern not to come." Cherrystar commanded, padding up to pay her respects. Pinepaw obeyed and fled through the trees.

The elders left the camp, delicately dragging Marigoldfur into the forest, her body lay still and lifeless.  
"I can't believe this..." Yarrowfern muttered, obviously devastated by the loss of her sister.  
"Yeah..." Hawkfur mewed. "She has been avenged though... I-I killed Hollowheart." Shocked gasps came from the clearing, but soon died down to a few murmurs.  
"He deserved it!" Sparrowpaw snorted. "You did us a favour."  
"Thanks." Hawkfur murmured.  
"Okay, we need to get back to fixing the nursery." Cherrystar meowed. Rage surged in Hawkfur at how uninterested Cherrystar looked. _That monster!_ He thought, unsheathing his claws and digging them deep into the soil. The time had come, Cherrystar had five lives left and Hawkfur was determined to kill her. He had set up a layer of thin dirt and grass, leading out to the depths of the water and as long as he could convince her to walk onto it and have it crack, she'd drown over and over again.  
"Cherrystar, may we go for a walk, we must discuss something." Hawkfur meowed, feeling his stomach go into knots.  
"Sure, Hawkfur." She mewed, following him out of camp. Once the reached the set up, he sat at the edge of the fake soil, Cherrystar beside him. Hawkfur sat on edge, anticipating the fall, readying himself to jump back at the first crack of a tree branch.  
"So, it's about Sparrowpaw." Hawkfur meowed, realizing why she was out her again. "She's very motivated, determined you could say."  
"Yes, she is." Cherrystar mewed.  
"I think she should be a warrior." He explained.  
"Well, I'm not sure if she's had enough-" She was broke off by the crumble of dirt, and it all began.  
"Cherrystar" Hawkfur gasped, trying to act like he was surprised.  
"Hawkfur, help me!" She wailed, falling into the icy water, paws flailing trying to stay afloat. Anxiety flooded over Hawkfur and he almost felt a pang of regret, but he knew what he had to do.  
"Cherrystar, grab on to this!" He yowled, throwing a stick down while holding the other end in his teeth. Cherrystar reached out but couldn't grasp it, sinking into the black icy water.  
"No!" He screeched, feeling regret and guilt tear him apart. Hawkfur dove into the depths trying to spot his leader. She was a young noble cat! She didn't deserve to die! He saw a flash of ginger fur in front of him, he swam closer and grabbed her by the scruff, hauling her up determined to not let her die. He reached the surface, laying Cherrystar down on the grass.  
"Hawkfur!" Cherrystar gasped, choking on water. "You tried to murder me, then saved me?" Hawkfur stared at his leader, feeling too many emotions to even begin to explain.  
"..." There was a long silence before Cherrystar spoke again.  
"You are a young cat, overwhelmed by ambition..." She began. "But even so, your loyalties have been proven to be with the clan."  
"No, my loyalties are with you, Cherrystar." Hawkfur muttered, suddenly feeling warmth again.  
"Oh Hawkfur..." Cherrystar muttered. "You're a fine deputy, you only felt pressured."  
"Cherrystar..." Hawkfur muttered, hooking her scruff with his teeth and pretending to fall in the water.  
"Hawkfur no!" She yowled. The water was ice cold, darkness flooded over him but he could still feel Cherrystar sinking below him. After everything, Hawkfur still knew what he had come here to do.  
"I'm sorry, Cherrystar." He murmured, letting go and swimming to the surface. He knew that Cherrystar was too weak to fight it, he would be promoted leader...


	3. Chapter 1

Kestrelpaw awoke, startled by a shrieking noise from the clearing. He got to his paws, nudging Treepaw awake and peering outside of the den. Fogpelt was pacing in circles while Echospot tried to comfort her.  
"Deerkit is missing!" She screeched, the rest of the clan beginning to emerge from their dens.  
"We'll find him." Echospot promised, starting to organize a patrol. "Treepaw, Nettleflame, Squirrelclaw and Ashlight! Go search for Deerkit, it'd be best to split up and cover more ground." He advised. "Mosspelt, Pinenose, Snowfall. Guard the nursery and Foxeye, Sparroweye and Starlingfur guard the camp entrance!" Every cat obeyed, splitting into their positions while the search patrol left the camp, Treepaw swiftly brushing past his brother and joining the other cats.  
"What can I do?" Lizardtail called from the front of the medicine cat den.  
"Organize herbs, take Kestrelpaw with you and get Yarrowfern to show you what to do." He responded.  
"Wait, one more patrol!" Hawkstar yowled from highledge. "Raggedfern, Dapplefoot, Mistlefang and Pinenose, check the border for any scents."  
"Yes Hawkstar." Pinenose called out, gathering his patrol. Kestrelpaw moved along the edge of the crowd and joined Lizardtail in the medicine den. Lizardtail was looming over Yarrowfern while she gathered her herbs.  
"Give her space, Lizardtail." Kestrelpaw advised. "We shouldn't need the herbs, but just in case..."  
"Just a great start to my morning..." Yarrowfern muttered.  
"Well, it's MinnowClan what do you expect, relaxation?" Lizardstripe purred. Yarrowfern let out a snort and continued organizing herbs.  
"Deerkit should be fine. No cat would ever harm a kitten!" Kestrelpaw meowed.  
"Oh, you'd be surprised..." Yarrowfern responded, her eyes darkening.  
"What does that mean?" Kestrelpaw pressed.  
"It means, I had a brother named Boragekit. Hollowheart killed him, leading him to exile... then he killed my sister..." She mewed, sounding like a helpless kit.  
"Oh my..." Kestrelpaw gasped.  
"Don't worry, your father avenged her and her brother by killing Hollowheart in a border fight." Lizardstripe told the young apprentice. "They were mates, actually."  
"Oh really?" Yarrowfern sounded surprised. "I didn't know that he was the father of Sparroweye and Littlepaw!"  
"Well, he is." Lizardstripe explained.  
"Interesting..." Yarrowfern murmured, obviously lost in thought.  
"Treepaw! No!" Yowls rose from the clearing, Kestrelpaw froze and stared at Yarrowfern.  
"Kestrelpaw..." Lizardstripe mewed. "Go and see, I'll be here with Yarrowfern if you need me..."  
"I need to see this, what if he's hurt?" Yarrowfern gasped, squirming past the two cats. Kestrelpaw followed, terrified to see what had happened.  
"A badger attacked us." Ashlight was explaining. "He... he had Deerkit and he almost took Treepaw's life..." Kestrelpaw froze at those words. Was his brother dead? _No! This can't be! No no no!_ He thought, panicking.  
"Deerkit!" Fogpelt wailed. "Treepaw!" Kestrelpaw pushed his way to the front to see his brother, who lay on the ground, panting as blood ran down his side.  
"Ashlight, take Deerkit to her mother and get Treepaw to the medicine den!" Snowfall was commanding. Kestrelpaw ran to his brothers side and delicately lifted him in his jaw, dragging him to the medicine cat's den.  
"It'll be okay." He whispered, entering the den. Yarrowfern was trailing closely behind them and rushed into her den to grab cobwebs.  
"He's still alive, quick, get me marigold to stop any infection!" Yarrowfern ordered, placing the cobwebs over his brothers gashes. Kestrelpaw turned and gazed at the massive pile of herbs. "The yellow one!" She mewed, flicking her tail toward the marigold. He grabbed it from the store and turned back to Treepaw.  
"Is he going to be okay?" Kestrelpaw whimpered.  
"Yes. He's alive." Yarrowfern sighed, relief washed over him as he watched the medicine cat treat his brother. "Get Deerkit, won't you?" She asked Lizardstripe who sat calmly on the other side of the den.  
"Of course." He meowed, leaving the den and reappearing a moment later with a tiny bundle of fur in his jaws. He layed him down carefully next to Treepaw and left the den once again.  
"I'd better go to give you space." Kestrelpaw murmured, leaving. Cats flooded around him as he padded to the apprentices den.  
"Is he okay?"  
"Is he dead?"  
"What happened?" Questions came from all sides of him. He flicked his tail and padded into his den, climbing into his nest.


	4. Chapter 2

"I'm fine!" Treepaw hissed at their mother as she came in to check on him.  
"Fox's are rabid animals." She sighed, turning out of the apprentices den. Kestrelpaw studied his brother. It had been a moon since the vicious fox attack and his brother was ready to train again.  
"A moon off training!" Treepaw groaned. "Let me guess, you're going to be a warrior a moon before me?"  
"I would never do that to you!" Kestrelpaw protested. "Besides, you've already had five moons of training! We'll be warriors come half-moon!"  
"I hope." His brother sighed, rolling over. "Why a moon to recover?"  
"Treepaw. The fox almost tore all your flesh off!" He yowled.  
"I suppose."  
"You _suppose_?" Kestrelpaw grunted and left the den, spotting his father on highledge. Ever since Nettlefern revealed to the clan that she saw him drown Cherrystar to become leader, he couldn't even look at him.  
"Hawkstar!" Echospot screeched. "It's Ashlight! She's kitting!" Yarrowfern rushed out of the medicine den to find Ashlight limping into cap, wailing. Kestrelpaw turned back to the den to fetch his brother and sat calmly at the edge of the clearing.  
"It's too much pain!" Ashlight screeched, Yarrowfern was rubbing her belly rhythmically to to lure the kits out of the young she-cat. A tiny bundle of fur fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Ashlight wailed and Echospot started licking the small black kit vigorously.  
"Here's the second." Yarrowfern mewed as another kit fell to the ground. "Two more, come on Ashlight!" She encouraged the queen. Soon, the two other kittens were laying with their mother, suckling blindly. Ashlight began to slow her panting and built up the strength to twist her bast just enough to look at her kits.  
"Two toms and two she-cats." Echospot purred. "There's a pure white she-kit with blue eyes, a light gray tom with green eyes, a black tom with green eyes and another gray tabby she-kit." Ashlight studied her four kittens.  
"Are they healthy?" She fretted.  
"It seems as so." Yarrowfern mewed proudly. "Congratulations!"  
"Frostkit." She decided, flicking her tail to the pure white she-kit. "Goosekit." pointing at the black tom. "Snowkit and Featherkit"  
"Kestrelpaw, Snowfall, Echospot and Mistlefang pick up a kit each and bring them to the nursery." Yarrowfern ordered. "Ashlight, can you travel?"  
"I'm not old!" She hissed, getting to her paws, limping heavily. "I don't feel good..." She admitted.  
"Bellyache?" Yarrowfern prompted.  
"No- I don't know.. I feel dizzy." Ashlight mewed, eyes closing into slits, paws shaking.  
"Lean on me." Yarrowfern offered. Before Ashlight could respond, she fell limp. "No!" Yarrowfern desperately listened for a heartbeat, but guessing by the look on her face she couldn't find one.  
"Mother!" Mosspelt squealed, running to the she-cats side. "Is she okay?"  
"I don't know..." Yarrowfern murmured. "I can't sense a heartbeat."  
"I suppose she was getting to old to kit, especially four kits..." Hawkstar murmured, padding closer. _How dare he say that so soon_?!  
"She was young!" Mosspelt snarled.  
"I understand your grief, but we must move on."  
"Move on? We're not even sure if she's dead!" Treepaw screeched, fur bristling.  
"I-" Hawkstar began.  
"No! You don't anything! You're a terrible leader and father!" Treepaw spat. Hawkstar turned and padded back into his den.  
"He's a murderer." Kestrelpaw muttered to his brother. Treepaw flicked his tail and left camp, leaving Kestrelpaw alone. The elders were dragging Ashlights body out of camp , eyes full of grief. Her four kits were safely in their nests, mewling.  
"I can foster them." Mosspelt mewed, eyes clouded. "They're my sisters and brothers."  
"Very well." Snowfall nodded her head to the young warrior. Kestrelpaw turned to the warriors den to see Starlingfur.  
"It's tragic, isn't it?" She sighed, sitting with Kestrelpaw.  
"Yeah..." Kestrelpaw sat with his tail wrapped neatly around his paws. "Four new kits though..."  
"It's a miracle, yet an omen." Starlingfur sighed.


	5. Chapter 3 (New Allegiances)

**Leader:**

Hawkstar - Light brown tom with a white underbelly

 **Deputy:**

Snowfall - Pure white fluffy she-cat

 **Medicine Cat:**

Yarrowfern - Black she-cat

Lilypaw - Light gray she-cat

 **Warriors:**

Mistlefang - Gray she-cat with blue eyes

Squirrelclaw - Ginger she-cat with long claws

Fogpelt - Foggy gray she-cat with white dapples

Echospot - Gray tom

Foxeye - Dark ginger tom

Lizardtail - Black tom with white dapples

Badgerclaw - Black tom with a white paw

Mosspelt - Gray she-cat

Pinenose - Ginger and white tom

Starlingfur - Gray she-cat

Sparroweye - Dark brown she-cat

Treedust - Dark brown tom

Kestrelberry - Light brown tom

 **Apprentices:**

Sorrelpaw - Dark tabby she-cat

Rainpaw - Gray tom

Frostpaw - Pure white she-cat with blue eyes

Snowpaw - Light gray tom with green eyes

Featherpaw - Gray tabby she-cat

 **Queens:**

Starlingfur - Gray she-cat (mother of Kestrelberry's kits Birchkit, Hazelkit and Dapplekit)

 **Elders:**

Onetail - White tom with one eye and a white torn tail

Raggedfern - Almost black tabby tom

Nettleflame - Gray she-cat with yellow eyes


	6. Chapter 4

Kestrelberry sat eagerly at the AppleClan border, waiting for the patrol to take him, Treedust and his kits to the camp. Starlingfur appeared in the undergrowth, eyes filled with worry.  
"Are we sure we should do this?" She mewed.  
"Yes." Treedust hissed. "We cannot live in the shadow of our fathers crimes!" Starlingfur tilted her head and sat.  
"Your father." She corrected. "I'm leaving a clan that loves me."  
"Starlingfur..." Kestrelberry began. "You don't have to go."  
"I will, I love you." Her gaze warmed a bit. "And our kits." Kestrelberry purred and nudged Dapplekit.  
"They're precious." He agreed. "Hopefully Silverwing arrives soon."  
"Agreed." Treedust meowed in annoyance. "If we get caught exiling ourselves from the camp, we'll be in big trouble!"  
"Hawkstar has no reasoning for anything." Kestrelberry hissed. They hear the bushes rustle, but no cat came from the border, rather behind them. Kestrelberry turned to see himself facing Hawkstar directly.  
"How did you-" Starlingfur gasp.  
"What are you doing?" He demanded, fur bristling.  
"Going to AppleClan to escape you!" Treedust hissed, tackling his father and gripping his neck. Kestrelberry gasped and pulled him off.  
"What are you doing?" He hissed at his brother.  
"Killing him." Treedust meowed. "Finally."  
"You are making the clan very weak, taking away six cats in fact." Hawkstar growled, licking his paw.  
"Good, MinnowClan can fall!" Treedust spat. "I used to love this clan. So proud to have you as my father. But you are a cold-hearted murderer!" Hawkstar was taken aback by the words.  
"And I used to love you, Treedust." He growled, pouncing on his son and swiftly snapping his neck, the sound of bone crackling made Kestrelberry cringe.  
"No!" Kestrelberry screeched. "You murdered my brother!" Starlingfur silently brought her kits closer to her and dashed across the border to meet Silverwing who had come as an escort.  
"Help!" Starlingfur meowed urgently. "Hawkstar found us and murdered Treedust!" Silverwing's eyes grew round and she moved swiftly to where Treedust lay.  
"Hawkstar." She snarled. "Come Kestrelberry, it's time." Kestrelberry raked his claws down his fathers pelt and bit into his neck, his father fell limp. He was dead, on his final life.  
"He's gone now, it was his last life." Kestrelberry meowed proudly. "Come Starlingfur, let's go back to camp, we can live with Snowstar."  
"All of this just to turn back, a death of a leader and a warrior for nothing." Silverwing meowed.  
"Hawkstar needed to die." He hissed. "He died from a murder, ironic." Starlingfur scooped up her kits and started to move back through the undergrowth towards camp.


	7. Chapter 5 (New allegiances)

**Leader:**

Snowstar - Pure white fluffy she-cat

 **Deputy:**

Mosspelt - Gray she-cat

 **Medicine Cat:**

Lilystep - Light gray she-cat

 **Warriors:**

Mistlefang - Gray she-cat with blue eyes

Squirrelclaw - Ginger she-cat with long claws

Fogpelt - Foggy gray she-cat with white dapples

Echospot - Gray tom

Pinefrost - Ginger and white tom

Starlingfur - Gray she-cat

Kestrelberry - Light brown tom

Featherfur - Gray tabby she-cat

Snowpelt - Light gray tom with green eyes

Frostnose - Pure white she-cat with blue eyes

Rainfoot - Gray tom

 **Apprentices:**

Birchpaw - Light brown tabby tom

Hazelpaw - Cream she-cat

Dapplepaw - Dappled she-cat

 **Queens:**

Sorreltuft - Dark tabby she-cat (mother of Echospot's kits Sootkit and Hollykit)

Sparroweye - Dark brown she-cat (mother of Pinefrost's kits Hawkkit, Treekit and Harekit)

 **Elders:**

Onetail - White tom with one eye and a white torn tail

Raggedfern - Almost black tabby tom

Nettleflame - Gray she-cat with yellow eyes


End file.
